AUTHOR=Karimi Kaivan , Arzanlou Mahdi , Pertot Ilaria 

TITLE=Weeds as Potential Inoculum Reservoir for Colletotrichum nymphaeae Causing Strawberry Anthracnose in Iran and Rep-PCR Fingerprinting as Useful Marker to Differentiate C. acutatum Complex on Strawberry

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00129

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2019.00129

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Strawberry anthracnose caused by <italic>Colletotrichum</italic> spp. is considered one of the most serious and destructive disease of strawberry worldwide. Weeds, as possible hosts of the pathogen, could have a role as potential inoculum reservoir. To prove this hypothesis, symptomless weeds were collected in strawberry fields showing anthracnose symptoms in Iran. Ten isolates with <italic>Colletotrichum</italic>-like colonies were recovered from symptomless <italic>Amaranthus viridis</italic> L., <italic>Convolvulus arvensis</italic> L., <italic>Fumaria officinalis</italic> L., <italic>Lactuca serriola</italic> L., and <italic>Sonchus oleraceus</italic> L. plants. The isolates were identified as <italic>C. nymphaeae</italic>, based on a combination of morphological and sequence data of TUB and GADPH genes. This identification was further validated using Rep-PCR fingerprinting analysis, which produces species-specific DNA fingerprints and unveils inter and intra variation of the species examined in this study. Moreover, rep-PCR marker was used to reveal accurate taxonomic position of <italic>Colletorichum</italic> spp. causing strawberry anthracnose belonging to the <italic>C. acutatum</italic> complex, including <italic>C. acutatum sensu stricto, C. fiorinae, C. godetiae, C. nymphaeae, C. salicis</italic>, and <italic>C. simmondsii</italic>. The <italic>C. nymphaeae</italic> isolates originating from symptomless weeds confirmed their pathogenicity on detached strawberry, proving that weeds in strawberry field may have a role as reservoir of inoculum. However, further studies are necessary to quantify their actual contribution to anthracnose epidemics in strawberry fields.</p>